Parental Separation (Temporary)

Challenge

• Are you a family where one of the primary caregivers has to be away from the family for regular short or sustained periods of time?
• Do you notice pre-departure issues in your child (anxiety, questions about why, behavioural changes)?
• Are you dealing with issues in a different way while only one parent is home?
• Is it difficult for you to re-establish family norms on return?

In children, attachment disruption can occur when a caregiver is away for periods of time. For some children, this may present as challenges such as low self-esteem, neediness, lack of self-control, or difficulty with friendships. These changes can have an impact on life at school, at home, and their relationships with peers, family, and authorities like teachers.

Option

There is hope, despite how far-fetched it may seem. There are effective and evidence-based treatments for dealing with adjustment and family dynamics involving a child’s separation from caregivers. A lot can be done to support, guide, and assist you and your child in improving their ability to cope, and better adjust to transitions or temporary separation. Therapies can include age appropriate CBT, ACT, mindfulness, relaxation, home exercises, and psychoeducation. Family therapy is also a good way of dealing with situations as a group, rather than as individuals.